3160 North Arizona Avenue, Suite 105, Chandler, Arizona 85225
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Dyslexia
Evaluation and Treatment
With the appropriate evidence-based interventions in place, reading skills can be greatly improved. Our Speech-Language Pathologists, specially trained in the evaluation and treatment of Dyslexia, will conduct a complete assessment and develop an individualized treatment plan that is individualized to meet your child’s unique speech, language, and literacy needs. This plan will build on your child’s strengths to improve these areas of need.
We understand that everyone is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treatment. At Ridge Zeller Therapy, we rely on the use of research-based methodologies with proven results.
Your child's evaluation will include:
- A detailed case history highlighting reading and language strengths and weaknesses
- Speech production
- Spoken language comprehension
- Verbal expression testing
- Phonological and phonemic awareness
- Working memory & processing
- Reading, writing, spelling, and handwriting samples
- Suggestions for facilitating reading improvement at home
- Recommendations for teachers
Who will be my therapist?
The professional in charge of each individual’s Dyslexia evaluation and treatment program is known as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). The SLP will work with each individual to design a program that meets the unique needs of that person. Meaningful activities will be developed to make therapy interesting and effective in meeting goals.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia Signs and Symptoms
Our speech-language pathologists are specially trained in conducting complete dyslexia evaluations and developing individualized dyslexia treatment and intervention plans that meet your child’s unique speech, language, and literacy needs. This plan will build on your child’s strengths to improve these areas of need.
Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that impacts an individual’s ability to read, write, spell, comprehend, and express themselves in all aspects of life and is more common than any other type of learning disability. Unless explicit and targeted intervention is provided, these difficulties will continue into adulthood and can result in poor self-esteem, social isolation, and under- and unemployment. Appropriate dyslexia diagnosis and interventions are critical.
Individuals with dyslexia may exhibit difficulty with:
- Following oral and written directions
- Reading, writing, and spelling
- Memorizing math facts
- Sequencing letters and symbols: b and d, left and felt, was and saw, 16 and 61
- Comprehending spoken language and expressing thoughts and ideas
- Space, time, and direction concepts
- Becoming easily distracted or decreased attention to tasks related to reading, writing, and mathematics
- High levels of frustration in school
- Retaining information
- Test-taking anxiety
- Developmentally immature
- Poor handwriting
- Poor esteem
We provide therapy services in schools, homes, via telehealt, and in our clinic located in Chandler.
Signs of Dyslexia in Preschool, School-Aged, and Adolescent
Preschool-Aged Children
- Delayed speech and language skills
- Difficulty rhyming and/or manipulating sounds to make new words
- Trouble reciting the alphabet, counting in order, and/or stating the days of the week
- Unable to follow multi-step directions or routines
- Tying shoes may be difficult as well as other fine motor skills
- Difficulty pronouncing multisyllabic words such as hamburger or spaghetti
- Trouble writing his/her name
- Unable to tell a story or event in the correct order
School-Aged Children
- Slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds
- Making consistent reading and spelling errors including letter reversals – d for b
- Word reversals – tip for pit
- Transpositions – felt and left
- Substitutions of words like house and home
- Confusing small words- at/to, said/and, does/goes
- Difficulty understanding the meaning of the text because they are spending so much time on decoding each word
- Relying heavily on memorizing without understanding
- Disengaging with reading activities
- Difficulty with mathematics including number reversals – 6 for 9
- Transposing number sequences and confusing arithmetic signs (+ – x / =)
- Trouble remembering math facts
- Difficulty learning to tell time
- Poor fine motor skills such as difficulty tying shoes and/or holding a pencil
- Slower to recall the right word
Adolescents
- Low grades
- Difficulty with spelling
- Avoids reading aloud, going up to the board, and/or actively volunteering in class
- No reading for pleasure
- Prefers to listen to content instead of reading
- Struggles to find spelling and grammar errors when editing written work
- Slow and labor-intensive reading and writing
- Trouble learning a foreign language